Sjodalen
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| Sjodalen | |
|---|---|
 View of the valley from Øvre Sjodalsvann | |
| Geology | |
| Type | River valley |
| Geography | |
| Location | Innlandet, Norway |
| Coordinates | 61°36′06″N 8°58′12″E / 61.6018°N 8.97006°E |
| Location | |
 Interactive map of the valley | |
Sjodalen[1] is a wide, gently sloping valley in Vågå Municipality in Innlandet county, Norway. The valley follows the river Sjoa as it drains the eastern parts of the Jotunheimen mountains. Sjodalen is generally accepted to start at the outlet from the deep mountain-lake Gjende. The valley is very narrow with high mountains on its sides. The valley heads north and ends as it opens up into the less-defined, much more open Heidal valley to the east of Randsverk. The two valleys are technically one large valley, but the narrow northbound valley is named Sjodalen in Vågå Municipality and once the valley opens up in Sel Municipality it is called Heidal.
Roald Tvedt (2008)
The valley was traditionally used for summer farming. What is particular for the valley is the size and state of these summer farms (sæter in Norwegian). This is partly caused by the very rare tradition of winter-farming in this region. Rather than bringing the summer harvest down into the village and main farm, the farmers took the animals back up into the mountains during winter. This could be done due to the limited snow-fall in this continental climate regime.
The perhaps best-known tourist site in Sjodalen itself is Ridderspranget. This canyon's name means Knight's Leap and originated with the legend of Sigvat Kvie from Valdres, one of the King Haakon Magnusson's knights (riddar). Sigvat jumped across the river Sjoa at this narrow point in the canyon, with a beautiful girl from Vågå. He had freed her from Ivar Gjesling successfully taking his love to Valdres.[2]